Help on indoor bamboo choice

[Nad]

Hello,
I'd like to have some bamboos indoors (in a room facing north). I have a frosted glass wall between 2 rooms (one with window and the other one without).
All I want is a bamboo screen against the frosted glass wall (if possible with stalks (or leaves) green and yellow)...and if it is edible, it will be a bonus! I will use a spot light -when people are in the rooms- to project the bamboo's shadows on the glass...

I've looked at bamboos and made a list of the ones I think could be nice, but I'm not sure if they will like it to be in a pot of 170cm*35cm*45cm(depth). The ceiling above them is at 3m.

Bambusa multiplex "Alphonse Karr"
Fargesia (Scabrida) 'Asian Wonder'
Hibanobambusa tranquillans "Shiroshima"
Phyllostachys Aureocaulis
Phyllostachys bambuso?des 'Castillonis Inversa'
Phyllostachys bambuso?des 'Holochrysa'
Phyllostachys Arcana ?Luteosulcata?
Phyllostachys Aureosulcata ?Aureocaulis?
Phyllostachys Humilis
Phyllostachys Praecox 'Viridisulcata'


If you have any advice or suggestion about the species to use in that place, I'd be glad to take it into account to make my final choice!

Best regards,

Nadege

[Hollenback]

Nad
I am not familiar with the Fargesia (Scabrida) 'Asian Wonder' but the Fargesias are normally good for low light conditions.
I also like Hibanobambusa tranquillans "Shiroshima" from your list.

To grow bamboo indoors you need to provide humidity by daily misting and having the pot sit on a tray of pebbles with water in it. Make sure you do not over water the plant. One sign of over watering is browning of the leaf tips. If you can rotate the plant to a sunny window it also would help.

Other sugestions are at:
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Interior%20Bamboo.htm
http://www.bamboodirect.com/bamboo/cata ... picks.html
http://www.bambu-u.com/Bamboos/bamboo%2 ... tm#indoors
http://www.lewisbamboo.com/favorites.html
http://www.jademountainbamboo.com/html/info/indoors.asp
http://www.bamboosourcery.com/cat_frame ... 1025&id=34

Bill

[kstanwick]

Bill, I went to some of your links provided. Good info. I don't know, but in my office i have no windows at all. Do you/or anyone thinks there is any plant that will survive on just artificail light? i know i can setup a grow light bulb (the 75 watt on a painters light)in my office but I think that i might have to go with the "ol' lucky bamboo" I'm bummed in the least but I have an arrow pot that i think i was going to bring in and try. I really don't want to lose it. Anyones thoughts would be appreciated.....also to boot it stays a steady 68 degrees F in where i am all year....so there is no temp fluctuation...

[needmore]

Kurt - I brought an Arrow to friend for his office. He put it in front of a west facing window but left the blind down all the time. It started looking like crap in a few weeks. This reminded him to open the blind the and plant started looking better pretty quick. It surely seemed like there was a noticable difference between the blind down and the blind up. Don't know how that translates to your artificial light question....

Nad - growing bamboo indoors can be tricky and I think that the room situation that you describe would eliminate nearly everything on your list, as it sounds too dark to me. Maybe the Multiplex is worth a try. I suspect that Indocalamus Tessellatus and Pseudosasa Japonica will do well indoors with good light and if I were you, I'd try the Japonica before spending money on anything else. If it does well then try one of the others.

They are tough to keep happy with the right light, humidity, and soil moisture. I have not had much luck trying Fargesias indoors, the humidity levels are critcal to keep just right and I haven't figured out the right combination yet, even though I run a humidifier all winter. The Phyllostachys seem like they'll tolearate being indoors for a winter but long-term I'm certain that they'll need adequate direct light and again the moisture levels are key.

I winter some pots of tropicals indoors in direct sun for several hours a day and they are just tough to keep happy. Bambusa Vulgaris Vittata and Bambusa Tuldoides Ventricosa seem to do better than they others. The room that these guys all grow in was partially designed with the goal of growing bamboo indoors and it still is tough.

Bill I have the Scabrida Asian Wonder and it is a beauty, that I'm certain you'll want. Purportedly it has the heat tolerance of Rufa with good cold hardiness. The culm leaves are orange contrasting with the white/blue culm powder - very attractive. The Asian Wonder part means that it is a tissure culture plant from Susanne Lucas/Jan Oprins etal and one is NOT allowed to propagate and distribute this copyrighted plant!

[Mike McG]

I think Bm'AK' would be a great choice to try as a potted plant because of the stripped culms. I have overwintered Alphonse Karr seedling in our unheated barn (zone 8b) with just the light through a nearby window. Bm'AK' is winter hardy here and I was just concened about their hardiness as seedlings. I have to admit the seedling I left outside did much better but also they hadn't been dug and potted.

A minor point but with respect to copyrights, I believe they only apply to a common name used to sell the plant. A patent (or possibly a legal agreement at the time of the sale to you) would prevent asexual propagation for resale. I believe sexual propagation (seed) for resale is allowed by a plant patent.

I am not a lawyer and this is just my recollection, but I believe patents, if granted, now last 20 years from the time of application. After that period, anyone would be free under the patent to propagate the plant for resale but still could not use the copyrighted name.

I agree that hybridizers should be protected and receive a commercial reward for their efforts, but I not sure that someone who divided a patented plant and ended up with two plants in their own garden are really violating the intent the patent law for plants inspite of what the tag on the plant may say.

Mike near Brenham TX

[Hollenback]

Brad
I got a Scabrida 'Asian Wonder' from Phil in Shelton. If I had the money I would have bought the non-copyrighted Scabrida from Ned at Bamboo Gardens.

I did see that F. scabrida 'Asian Wonder' is listed as a synonym for F. scabrida at http://www.kimmei.com/ so how do you know if the plant is copyrighted or not.

I hope I have good luck over wintering F. nitida indoors. I currently have 30 seedlings and more are coming up every day. I do have some more seed in the refrigerator in case these do not make it.

I did just bring in my Qiongzhuea tumidissinoda for the winter. Last winter I had it indoors in an east window with suplimental light and it is doing well.

Bill

[Markj]

deleted

[needmore]

Bill, mine came from the same source as yours. It had a pretty label attached that had the copyright info thereon.

[Delbenes]

What's the difference between Fargesia Nitidia and Fargesia Scabrida? They both look pale blue with orange leaf sheaths. The last time I looked on eBay Phil in Shelton had three Scabrida. Was tempted, until remembering that most Fargesias grown in the Midwest look kind of stunted and ratty. Orange and blue, striking color scheme.
Can plants like the Scabrida really be copyrighted? And if you had the botanical talent to design a bamboo, what qualities would it have?

[Markj]

These Fargesia do really well in the cool/grey/wet Uk, as a result the diffrence in the two forms is amazing, F. scrabrida has not been around that long overhere( though now micro-propped, and found in local garden centres) . I planted a small division two years ago and it's done really well, and must rate as one of the best fargesia there is , the colour is truely amazing. This pic taken today , at the end of the growing season when the colour is starting to fade. Very long branches and culms growing in a very open manor.



Fargesia nittida, this was planted 4 years ago as a small division, no flowering as of yet Very diffrent look, small branches and leaves in a very tight clump, much more weeping than the scabrida, but UK growing conditions are so diffrent .




Mark.

[BooKing]

Nice pictures Mark...